Chapter 37 from Kent’s Memoirs of a Jesus Freak

Another spiritual leader also had many people fooled about the

real nature of his group besides David Berg and the Children of

God. It has been argued long and hard about which was more

damaging to the Jesus People Movement. My opinion is that the COG

caused the most damage, since the Jones’ business collapsed so completely

and was so utterly discredited, any trouble instigated by them

disappeared rather quickly. And it must be made clear, despite confusion

to the contrary—Jim Jones and The People’s Temple had absolutely

no connection with the JPM.

Jim Jones did not impact my ministry in Marin County until

1972, the year Church of the Open Door was established. We were

a non-denominational, charismatic church built on the ministry

foundation several of us had established in Marin’s towns. I became

aware of Jones from articles in the San Francisco Chronicle, since he

had involved himself in San Francisco politics, a very strange creature

during that period.

Jones began sending buses to our parking lot at Carpenter’s Hall

in San Rafael on Sunday mornings, in order to transport anyone wanting

to come to his services in San Francisco instead of ours. This tactic

revealed Jones’ arrogant and aggressive nature. At first, I did nothing

to stop this tactic, but after hearing reports of what was taking place

at the meetings, I decided to visit The People’s Temple myself and

attended at least two of their services.1

1 I later climbed on board the bus when it pulled into the parking lot and

literally threatened the driver with bodily harm if he ever showed up again. No bus

ever came back, and I am thankful for that to this day, without apology.

What I recount now may seem rather strange; however, many

other people witnessed what I experienced, and over an extended

period of time. Here is what happened: (1) Angel’s wings (or so it was

said) brushed over me; (2) My up-stretched hand was clasped as in

a handshake that could be felt but not seen; (3) I smelled a pleasant

aroma, which Jim Jones called “the sweet savor of the Lord,” wafting

through the air; and (4) Drops of oil fell on my Bible held open on my

lap. In addition, there was a young black girl from Oakland, maybe

aged thirteen, who stood in front of the congregation while the “stigmata”

appeared on her hands and ankles—the places where the

Roman soldiers pounded the nails into Jesus’ body—and blood, or so

it seemed, soaked through her dress at the point where the spear of

the Roman soldier pierced Jesus’ side.

After this I understood the attraction; there was a powerful

presence in Jim Jones’ meetings. Despite the spiritual nature of the

meetings, and the enthusiasm, the clapping, dancing, and exuberant

singing, I heard no gospel preached or Bible taught. Oddly, it was also

not the kind of service I would describe as either Pentecostal or charismatic.

After my visits to the People’s Temple, I addressed the San Rafael

Church and made it very clear that it was the devil at work in Jones’

services and definitely not the Spirit of God. The miracles, I declared,

were counterfeit, however real, and the whole purpose was to deceive

and confuse the faithful. I warned as sternly as I could that no one

should attend his services.

When the Jonestown tragedy in Guiana became known to the

world, and for some months after that, I officiated at funerals for some

of those who died at Jonestown. It was then that I was able to make

sense and be certain of what had happened: there was at work at The

People’s Temple the same force at work with David Moses Berg and

COG—a demonic power able to seduce and deceive through counterfeit

signs and wonders. I had felt that same power on the morning

when Ed Sweeney had to pull me away from being drawn into the

COG while listening to a member’s pitch. It was that same pull I had

experienced during the Kirtans at the Hare Krishna temple in 1967.

Now I had seen it at work at The People’s Temple.

A Failure to Discern

I learned a lesson: not all that is spiritual is of the Spirit of God.

Due to the charismatic orientation embraced by most of the Jesus

People, we were not able to grasp this. This failure was likely the

most damaging aspect of the JPM, contributing to its dark side. We

simply did not know that prophecy, healings, and miracles could be

of a devilish origin. I am still working through aspects of this in my

current spiritual walk. I don’t want to assign all signs and wonders to

the nether regions, because I think that during times of awakening,

there are exceptional Holy Spirit gifts given that authentically result

in glory to God. Let me be clear, however, that none of what I experienced

during the Hindu services, or encountered with the young

man on the porch of the former French Embassy in Atlanta, or saw

firsthand at the People’s Temple in San Francisco had anything to do

with the Spirit of God.

East of Eden is where the Creator sent Adam and Eve as a consequence of the breaking of one single commandment—not to eat the fruit of a tree found in the midst of the garden. Two specific trees were named: “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (see Genesis 2:9, 17) and “the tree of life” (see Genesis 2:9; 3:22, 24).

In Genesis chapter 3 is recorded what the Creator, about to become the Evictor, said to an unknown audience. In a manner akin to a stage play God said,

Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:22–24)

In our previous chapter we dealt with the problem of evil, and here in Genesis we encounter evil again. There are perhaps hundreds of passages in the Bible that beg this central question. Now, however, the focus is on the incredible, preposterous event where God threw His precious creation, even that made in His own image, out into a wilderness.

Prophetic?

The Book of Genesis initiates the story of God and His creation. The grand themes are presented in this book of beginnings then run throughout the rest of the Bible like threads in a woven tapestry, all the way to the last book, Revelation.

Created in the Creator’s image, evicted from a paradise, recreated and forgiven, then restored and returned to experience the heavenly Paradise—this is the story of Scripture.

Why the long journey? Must the creature go through the agony of the eviction from the garden? Did the Creator toss Adam and Eve out because of a single infraction?

The Trouble with Sin

In the Genesis account the problem was the breaking of a single commandment, the only one given. Adam and Eve did eat the forbidden fruit. They knew it, and God knew it. And then we find something utterly preposterous.

Something happened after they ate the fruit; Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened as never before. Yes, they then had more knowledge, but only the knowledge that sin brings. The result was guilt and fear.

They hid from God. Suddenly they realized they were naked and sewed some fig leaves together. When God came calling in the cool of the day, they did not respond or greet Him. Why so?

The thing about God is that He is holy, meaning, without sin. Sin is the breaking of the divine commands. God is wholly other; He alone is sinless. We are not so, and we all know it. Even the psychopath, whose conscience is not working as it should, knows something is amiss. Adam and Eve knew they had sinned and created a lie to hide behind. “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Blame shifting and excuses!

Would this have happened if there had been no presence of evil? Again, God must have known what would happen; yet He allowed that evil to invade the very paradise He made for the first humans.

And we are living with it still. Indeed, nothing has changed from that day to this. We wrestle with guilt, fear, loneliness, and are angry about all that has been lost. Perhaps the phrase “separation anxiety” expresses our inner conflict.

The Creator made us, so He must have known the terrible emotional and spiritual distress that would come to all of us. Yet we are told He is a loving God.

Being God, could He not have simply pardoned the guilty pair? Could He not have thrown the serpent out, even destroy the fallen angel? If we think too much on these issues it will not bode well with us. We then plunge further into the pit of snakes and are bitten innumerable times.  

I have a vague idea of what happened back at the beginning of the human race, and even have some understanding of why God had to take action. Too many of us over the centuries have come up with simplistic answers to the age-old mystery, none of which gave much comfort. Often the easy answers create more questions than they solve.

No Easy Answer

First, do we have it right? Can we trust the Genesis account? We must ask these questions, even if fear would prevent it, and there are reasons to fear. Others might think we are off track, disobedient, cultic, rebellious, liberal, making shipwreck of our faith, or have gone apostate. These immaturities must be rejected, and we must explore reality regardless of pressures not to If I only had the Genesis material, I would wonder. But all through Scripture, no character or author disputes it. The historians, the poets, the prophets, the apostles, Jesus’ enemies, and Jesus Himself all adhere to the biblical account we have in Genesis. The systematic theology springing out of the Scripture demands that the early account of creation and eviction forms the necessary glue that holds together everything following it.

If Genesis is not accurate, Jesus died for nothing. He died for a preposterous something, all right. He died because our personal sin has separated us from the Creator, and only by our Lord Jesus taking our sin upon Himself can we once again walk in Paradise with our Creator. It is that simple.  

 Sarah Young: Jesus Calling

The following is repeated from our own book, The Soul Journey: How Shamanism, Santeria, Wicca, and Charisma are Connected, in which we propose that the “connection” between these spiritual paths is actually the mediumistic practice of attaining a trance state and contacting spirits, be they supposed spirits of dead ancestors (shamanism and Santería), spirit quides (various occult renditions), lords and ladies of the Realm (Wicca), or even the supposed Jesus of Sarah Young’s series of books that started with Jesus Calling in 2004. 

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Sarah Young practices “listening prayer,” in which she hears messages directly communicated from Jesus. She describes her technique in her bestselling book, Jesus Calling, which has sold over nine million copies in twenty-six languages (as of the end of 2013). This book was the fifth bestseller for the first half of 2013 for all books, not just Christian books. Through it all, the author maintains a low profile, partly due to physical disabilities, and thus she is relatively unknown. She has experienced chronic physical difficulties for many years and writes inspiringly of her loving connection with whom or what she thinks is Jesus giving her comforting and encouraging messages. 

It all began with Sarah wondering if she could receive messages during times of prayer. She hoped God would talk to her personally. And it began to happen. And yes, she believes that Jesus is really and actually speaking with her. She prays then listens, and He answers. This has been her experience for many years. 

As she hears, Sarah journals what she hears, and after a number of years she published some of what she heard. Readers and prayer groups are encouraged and comforted by the messages, and as sales of books demonstrate, she has a growing audience. Many thousands are now taking up the practice of listening prayer. 

The key question which must be asked is, who is speaking? Jesus or someone else? Is it possible there is clever counterfeiting here? 

Over the centuries Christians have thought that God does speak to them. Richard Foster, who champions contemplative prayer or meditative prayer, defends Young’s practice. He has modeled his own recommendations for deep meditation and contemplation on what Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, Ignatius Loyola, and many others practiced and experienced centuries ago. What Young does is the same as or quite similar to the exercises of these Christian mystics. 

Sarah Young describes her own custom as meditating on Scripture and then waiting quietly to hear a reply from Jesus. When Jesus speaks, she writes down what she heard or was placed on her heart. She insists that the words or messages are not revelatory in the sense of prophecy or fortune telling; the content of the messages is fairly ordinary and biblically based. The Bible plays a major role in Sarah’s life, and she firmly believes it is the inspired revelation of God; however, and this is a huge “however,” she wanted more than what the Bible offers. She indeed got more and has come to rely on these communications, the “encouraging directives from the Creator,” as she originally said before that phrase was removed from her 2013 edition. 

But there is a worrisome twist. When Young journals the words supposedly spoken by Jesus they are written in the first person with Jesus as the person speaking. She does not, for instance, write, “Jesus said,” but rather, “Focus on me.” Since she purports to write down whatever Jesus says, her readers must logically conclude that her journal is as authoritative as the Bible, almost a fifth Gospel. If this is not so, then Jesus Calling is pseudo-biblical, an imitation, albeit very clever, of a revelation from God. 

Young’s error is therefore serious and similar to that of the Course in Miracles, supposedly communicated by Jesus to Helen Schucman in the 1970s. Schucman’s Jesus dictated profoundly spiritual concepts to her, which she wrote down, and one of the most successful new age cults was born. Schucman’s Jesus bears little resemblance to the biblical Jesus, unlike Young’s Jesus, but could this make the counterfeit even more difficult to detect? 

Young’s book sales are phenomenal, and again I cannot help but be reminded of Helen Schucman and the Course in Miracles; however, Young’s book is far more biblically Christian than Schucman’s. The difference seems clear, and many Christians are tempted to embrace Young’s claim to hear the voice of Jesus. But it will not work. There is neither biblical precedent nor warrant for quieting oneself, praying, and then listening for Jesus to speak. Young’s techniques fit into the broad spectrum that is Charisma today, emboldening yet another dangerous counterfeit practice. 

The Jesus supposedly speaking to Sarah Young is very affirming and encouraging, but little else. The messages lack the doctrinal content of the real Jesus found in Scripture. Encouraging promises found in quotes supposedly from Jesus’ appeal to those who are easily dazzled by assurances of personal satisfaction and are therefore attracted to purveyors of the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel. 

Nowhere in Scripture does God promise to speak individually to believers or answer prayer by speaking directly to the one praying. This is the critical point. What I discovered in my decades of ministry is that, if you want to hear things from God, you eventually will hear something. But the communication is not from God, however real and spiritual the communication might be. 

John 10:27 is quoted by proponents of Young’s book as proof that Jesus speaks directly to His ‘”sheep.” “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” To “hear” is to know Jesus as the Good Shepherd as distinct from a false shepherd or a wolf; the literal application of “hear” does not work here. It is the Holy Spirit who indwells the believer at conversion who “bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16). 

An instruction for believers to listen for the actual audible voice of Jesus, be it solely in the mind, is foreign to the New Testament writings. There is nothing in Scripture about praying then listening for a response. It is surprising that so many do not know this. Churches across the country have instituted prayer groups devoted to Young’s methods. Again, it illustrates the fascination with feelings and direct experiences rather than seeking to learn what the Word of God actually teaches. 

We are all hungry to know more of God, and little by little we do grow up into the fullness of the stature of Christ (see Ephesians 4:1-16). Following Jesus is a lifelong process and there are no shortcuts. Quick and easy methods of “going direct” to the source can be addictive and difficult to disengage from. Christians are yet sinners and living in a sinful world; we are pilgrims traveling the straight and narrow road that is often filled with pain and sorrow. God hears our prayers and does strengthen and comfort us, but He speaks to us through the Scripture. That is enough for us. We do not need more. Eve wanted more and she got it, but it brought disaster upon her and all of us. 

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We strongly suggest acquiring Brenna E. Scott’s book, Christian Journaling or Psychic Channeling? A Critical Comparison of the Jesus Calling Series with Occult Training Literature. You will find in this book a brief history of how Sarah Young encountered a devotional book, God Calling, written in the 1930’s by two women who practiced waiting in God’s Presence in a mediumistic manner. Ms. Scott is quite thorough in her analysis of the contents of Sarah Young’s books. There is a foreword by Chris Lawson, and it is published by Brenna Scott Publishing, LLC, 2022.

Earlier movements

It was not until 1968 that I became acquainted with the Charismatic

Movement, mainly the Catholic version of it. I connected with the

Protestant Charismatic Movement a year later, at Holy Innocents

Episcopal Church in Corte Madera, a town in central Marin County.

Father Todd Ewald brought a fellow Episcopalian priest, Father Dennis

Bennett of Seattle, to preach and minister at Holy Innocents about

that time, and many of the Jesus People started attending. I recall an

elderly lady named Gert Bohanna who often ministered there as well.

Somewhere I have tape recording of a talk she made there. She must

have been in her seventies and was so interesting to hear. Every one

of us loved her.

The services were fairly charismatic but not wildly so, and while

there was healing and speaking in tongues, the main focus was on

preaching the Gospel and teaching the Bible. Wherever Jesus was

preached and the Bible taught, Jesus People would show up.

We soaked up instruction from the teachers and preachers of the

Charismatic Movement, especially from the Ft. Lauderdale Five, as

we called them—Bob Mumford, Charles Simpson, Derek Prince, Don

Basham, and Ern Baxter. These men were older than nearly all of us,

and were experienced, mature Christians. They produced dozens of

teaching tapes that we eagerly sought out and listened to for hours

and hours. If we heard that one of these men was to be preaching anywhere

near us, we made our way there. We also appreciated mainline

Pentecostals like Oral Roberts and Kathryn Kuhlman, but they didn’t

draw us as the Five did. Several other preachers and teachers also

caught our attention—names that escape me now.

Jesus People, like those of the Catholic Renewal or the Catholic

version of the Charismatic Movement, although influenced by charismatics

and Pentecostals, were nevertheless distinct from them, at

least in the earliest years. My guess for the origin and chronology of

the Charismatic and Catholic Renewal movements is that they preceded

the JPM. They may have been a part of the general awakening

that developed from various directions, but my experience tells me

they were not related.

In San Rafael, where I was living from late 1968 until 1985, there

was a Marist seminary, and one or two of their priests/monks visited

the Bible studies we conducted. They invited me to their masses, and

I occasionally participated in these. There was also in San Rafael a

Carmelite Monastery that offered a public prayer service that many

Jesus People and charismatics from a number of different churches

attended. Still, the JPM was different and distinct from the Catholic

Charismatic expression, though many people moved freely between

the two.

Our work in Marin centered on Bible studies and evangelistic

outreaches at the local high schools and the local community college,

College of Marin, which has two campuses, one in Ignacio and

the original and main campus in Kentfield. Eventually, we had a Bible

study in each school, and that often led to opening up yet another

Christian house. I signed so many leases and guaranteed so many utility

accounts during that period, it caused me some sleepless nights.

As stated earlier, we began then to open up Christian bookstores and

even a thrift shop.

On Sunday mornings, my family and I attended local Baptist

churches, mostly Southern Baptist-aligned and some American Baptist

churches as well. In every case we were warmly received and

encouraged. Although we were a para-church ministry that came

alongside churches and not leaders or pastors of a church, I felt it

important to be a part of a community of faith; evangelistic outreach

was not enough. Most of the time, we attended the First Baptist

Church of San Rafael on Lincoln Avenue, the Lucas Valley Community

Church in a northern suburb of San Rafael, or the First Baptist Church

of Novato.

Pressure to Begin a Church

Among our early leaders, from around 1970, were Mike Riley,

Roger Hoffman, and Bob Hymers. Roger and Bob had roots with

Southern Baptists, Mike had been with the United Brethren Church,

and all attended Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill

Valley, the school I graduated from in 1968.1

Mike, Roger, and Bob were much more used to regular church

involvement than the rest of our leaders. Nearly from the beginning

of our relationship they were pushing to start up a church. They had

a valid point, since the kids and some of their parents attended all

kinds of different churches, while the majority attended nowhere at

all. For more than a year, I resisted this move, thinking a para-church

ministry was the proper model for us.

Moishe Rosen of Jews for Jesus, who more than anyone else served

as a mentor to me during that period, encouraged us to remain a parachurch

ministry with a focus on street evangelism. I agreed fully, and

thus a wedge opened up between the others and me.

An Evening Gathering in Mill Valley

Mike, Roger, and Bob had assembled together a number of the

young people from our ministry for gatherings at the Dow home in

Mill Valley. I decided to attend to see what was happening. Bob, no

question one of the best preachers I have ever heard, anywhere, anytime,

could hold anyone listening in rapture for long periods. Bob,

whose full name is Robert Leslie Hymers, Jr., is a strong leader with

a lot of experience in churches, and he was bound and determined

to start a church, which he wanted named Church of the Open Door

after the famous church of the same name in Los Angeles.

Quickly, the house became too small to accommodate the crowd,

and a move was made to Scout Hall in Mill Valley on East Blithedale.

That place also filled up quickly, and I was left with a very large

dilemma. This was all being done despite my wanting to avoid becoming

a church. However, the leaders of our Christian House Ministries—

Mark Buckley, Kenny Sanders, Bruce Arnold, Blacky Smith, Geoff

Tachet, Bob Gaulden, Bob Burns, and others—conferred together and

recognized the church-like entity that had already developed. They

also decided to continue the existing model of street evangelism, high

school ministry, Christian houses, Christian bookstores, and so on.

A board of elders formed, I served as senior pastor, and we took

steps to incorporate. It did not take too long before Scout Hall was

not adequate, so we moved into Carpenter’s Hall on Lindaro Street in

central San Rafael and rented out some office space nearby on Jordan

Street. This was in 1972.

As could be expected, the Monday morning elders’ meetings were

stormy, to put it mildly. The egos, including mine, could not easily

be contained in the space in which we met, which was my office at

the Christian General Store, 2130 Fourth Street in San Rafael. After

around one year, Bob decided to go back to Los Angeles from whence

he had come and begin another church there. The original name of

his first church in downtown Los Angeles was the Fundamentalist

Tabernacle Baptist Church. Bob’s great preaching soon drew crowds,

and the church grew rapidly.

Bob’s leaving had an impact on me I did not recognize right away.

He was the only non-charismatic among us, not that we were “wildeyed,”

but we were tending more and more in that direction. The oars

were missing, and I was carried along on the current. It was not until

1978 that Dr. Lou Rambo, my major professor at San Francisco Theological

Seminary, forced me to make a critical analysis of what we

were doing and thinking.

In 1975, the Church of the Open Door had outgrown the space in

Carpenter’s Hall. On one single Sunday, we divided ourselves up and

started four additional churches. One was in Novato with Mark Buckley,

another in Petaluma with Kenny Sanders, one in San Francisco

with Bob Gaulden, and one in Pt. Reyes Station with Bruce Arnold.

At that point there were somewhere between 325 and 375 attending

the two Sunday mornings services in San Rafael. The Sunday following

the division into four churches the hall in San Rafael was full

again, although there should only have been about 125 in attendance.

My figures may be faulty, but that is how I remember things. We were

forced to continue two morning services, and the later service was

always packed wall to wall.

A final note on the founding of the Church of the Open Door in

San Rafael: The view of the church’s founding above is my own, and

I have discovered in the process of preparing these memoirs that my

account is only one among several. None of the versions vary enough

to cause any alarm, however. Perhaps a more agreed upon story may

evolve out of conversation around this book.